Child's Play
by lunarstargazer
Summary: Sequel to "Chess Conversations" Takako Hatsuharu is back as one of Haruhi's regulars, but she's still not sure how to take that first advice Haruhi gave her. But then she comes across the Host Club playing one of her favorite childhood games. oneshot


Kagome Kagome, according to Wikipedia, is a Japanese game in which players walk around the "oni," who is blindfolded, singing

Takako Hatsuharu waited for Haruhi Fujioka to make her next chess move. Like every other time she had played with her, Haruhi was completely absorbed in studying the board almost to the point of scowling.

"Fujioka?" Takako asked suddenly.

"Hm?" she answered absent-mindedly, her eyes staying glued to the game.

"I was wondering—"

"Haruhi!" Tamaki exclaimed, grabbing her by the shoulders.

"Wah! Let go!" Haruhi shouted back.

"I could not stand by and watch such un-host behavior anymore! I thought my daughter knew better!" ('Daughter?' Takako thought)

"What? We're just playing chess!"

"Just playing chess? Ha!" he said, pointing accusingly at him. "What woman can feel at ease playing with someone with such a glower on his face! And you haven't even once looked into this princess's beautiful eyes! And when answering such a maiden, one shouldn't be degrading with a low class grunt—it should be more like this!" Tamaki dropped instantly to one knee and took one of Takako's hands, smiling his best host smile. "What can I do for you, Miss Hatsuharu?" He tilted his head calculatingly to the side so that his eye caught the sunlight and twinkled. "Don't you agree, Miss Hatsuharu?"

She looked down at him expressionlessly. "Please let go of my hand. You are interrupting out conversation."

For a moment, it seemed that Tamaki had turned completely to stone from shock. Then he stood, slouching with dejection. "I'm sorry, I understand," he mumbled, shuffling away.

"I thought you were going to try to get along with Tamaki?" Haruhi asked.

"Not if he insists on acting like an idiot."

"But…"

"This was bound to happen, Tamaki," Kyoya said, patting him on the shoulder. "Operation Act-Gallant-to-Get-Hatsuharu-to-Accept-You-and-Tell-You-All-About-Common-Life was guaranteed to fail."

"We can hear you," Takako said under her breath, putting a hand to her head.

"I guess I see what you mean," Haruhi said, looking at the two-year students with a hopeless look. "Did he really think that it would work?" She turned her attention to Takako. "Oh, right. What were you trying to tell me before, Takako?"

"I almost forgot. Fujioka, whenever I request you we only play chess, but I don't think that you enjoy it much."

Haruhi tilted her head to the side, smiling slightly. "I don't mind as long as you are enjoying yourself. Beside, I think I'm getting better."

"But why not do something you like? What sort of games do you play?"

She put her hands up. "No, no, chess is fine. I've never been very interested in games."

"None? Well…what about when you were a little boy? What did you like to play back then?"

Haruhi tapped her chin thoughtfully. "I guess I didn't participate in many games? I did play by myself though."

Tamaki perked up from moping at Haruhi's words. Within seconds, he had the other members of the host club, excluding her, gathered around him in a huddle. Haruhi watched them converse in frantic whispers, massaging the vein beginning to pulse in her temple.

"Those guys," she grumbled. "I can already imagine what they're saying."

"Did you hear what Haruhi said," Tamaki said seriously.

"Yes! So it must be true that even children of such a status don't even have time to play!"

"Poor Haruhi!"

"As her friends, it is our duty to do something about this!"

Haruhi shook her head, guessing their words perfectly. "I have a bad feeling about this."

Takako giggled. "Fujioka, if you don't like games, then what do you like to do?"

"I like to cook," she offered readily. "Dad is always saying how my cooking reminds him of Mom's," she smiled softly, "and that makes me really happy."

Takako felt her face go red from Haruhi's sincere expression. "I like to cook to!" she said eagerly. "Maybe I sometime can come to your apartment, and—"

"Miss Hatsuharu!" The Hitachin twins jumped between host and customer. "You have never played the 'Which one is Hikaru?' game! Come on! Guess! Guess!"

Takako stood up. "I'm sorry, Fujioka, but I should be getting to the library now. Thank you for the game."

"I understand. I'll see you next time."

"Bye bye!" the twins said together.

"Hikaru, Kaoru," Haruhi said once Hatusharu had left, "why don't you want Takako coming to my apartment?"

They shrugged, smiling smugly. "No reason."

Later that day, as Takako was preparing to go home, she spotted a group of girls crowded around one of the many school gardens. Curious, she joined the girls.

"What's going on?"

"The Host Club is playing comer games again!" one of the girls said excitedly. "Seeing Tamaki run around so child-like and carefree just makes my heart pound!"

"Hunny is the so cute! Playing games like this suit him so much! Ooh! I wish he was my little brother!"

"I remember this game," Takako said, watching the hosts. "Wow, this is so nostalgic. It's Kagome, Kagome, isn't it?" she asked, looking at the other girls. They looked back at her blankly. "Haven't you ever played this?"

(Kagome Kagome, according to Wikipedia, is a Japanese game in which players walk around the "oni," who is blindfolded, singing the game's nursery rhyme. When they finish, the "oni" must guess who is standing behind him. If he guesses correctly, he switches places with that person.)

"I was never allowed to play something where I could get hurt."

"My Dad always said if I had time to play, I had time to learn something productive."

"My mother only let me play games I could win national competitions at."

"Oh, look, it's Haruhi's turn to guess again."

"Poor Haruhi," a girl said while giggling. "She's been the 'oni' the past five times."

Haruhi didn't seem concerned that she was always wrong. "Is it Hunny?" she guessed right away.

"Wrong!"

She slid the blindfold off her eyes, and saw Hatsuharu first. She smiled at her. "Takako!" she called. "Come join us!"

Around her, she heard the other girls beginning to murmur to themselves, and for a few moments, Takako fidgeted nervously. She looked between the two groups, uncertain of what to do, until she remembered what Haruhi had told her the first time they met—shouldn't you act however makes you happiest?

With a soft sigh, Takako slipped off her shoes and walked into the grass. She could still hear the girls behind her muttering, some of them shocked that she would walk around in her stocking feet, but she suddenly didn't mind as much. The circle of boys broke to make room for her, and she stepped in between Tamaki and Mori. Tamaki looked at her warily from the corner of his eye, and Takako chuckled, thinking that she may have been too hard on him.

She held out her hand for him and smiled. "Let's have fun together."

Tamaki's expression brightened until it sparkled. "Yes!"


End file.
